By Todd Allen

Marvel has AVX. DC has “Night of the Owls.” IDW has Infestation 2. Image has Image United (hey, it could come out this year). You’re wondering where Dynamite’s big cross-over event is. Well, wonder no more.

Dynamite’s taken all those Mayan 2012 apocalyptic stories you’ve been reading about on the Internet and become inspired to do a big ‘ole centuries spanning event that’s going to bring together the likes of Red Sonja and Vampirella. I’d bet money Kulan Gath has a hand in this.

Alas, Dynamite isn’t completely into the Cross-Over Event fad, as this will be a self-contained series.

The Prophecy will launch in June with Ron Marz writing and Walter Geovani on art duties.

Come to think of it, I’m surprised we haven’t seen more Mayan-themed comics this year. Oh, well — the year is still young.

Official PR follows:

2012: THE PROPHECY IS HERE!

DYNAMITE IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OUR FIRST MAJOR CROSS-OVER EVENT!!!

WRITTEN BY RON MARZ AND IN COMIC STORES EVERYWHERE JUNE 2012!!!

March 13th, 2011, Runnemede, NJ – In 2012, the Mayan doomsday prophecy is coming to pass, and the end of the world makes for strange allies. Vampirella, Red Sonja, Kulan Gath, Dracula, Eva, Herbert West The Reanimator, Alan Quatermain, Athena, Dorian Gray, Purgatory, Pantha and many more choose sides and clash in battles that will decide the fate of the Earth and all of mankind. Will the forces of good be able to stop the end of days? Or will an army of darkness rise? Find out in Prophecy #1, coming this June from Dynamite Entertainment!

Written by Ron Marz and drawn by Walter Geovani, with covers by Paul Renaud, Prophecy is a self contained event series. Prophecy, running for seven issues, is easily Dynamite’s biggest company cross-over of ALL TIME! Make sure to pick up the first issue of Prophecy in June!

“I’ve written a fair number of crossover stories over my career, and one of the reasons I keep coming back to them is that they almost always end up being fun,” says writer Ron Marz. “There’s something intrinsically comic-booky about a bunch of characters meeting for the first time. One of the attractions of Prophecy when it was offered to me was that we talked about embracing that aspect, the sensibility that a comic can still be fun, with big action moments as well as big characters moments. I’m really looking forward to getting to play with this bunch of characters.”

“We’re going old school a bit here, putting together a titanic team up of colossal proportions against the back drop of the end of the world,” says Dynamite Editor Joe Rybandt. “Classic comic book storytelling right here. Be there.”

“We have discussed a major cross-over at Dynamite for some time, but wanted to wait till we had the best project possible with the right creative team. With the Mayan Prophecy in 2012, it felt like the perfect time to have our first major cross-over. Ron was the first writer we thought of and approached, and were ECSTATIC when he said yes. The result is months of discussions for our biggest cross-over ever!,” says Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci. “Ron’s Artifacts series at Top Cow has been nothing short of amazing, and since this is our first major cross-over, we wanted to do it right. We are keeping Prophecy focused and tight, so this seven issue series is set up so that this is the only series fans will need to read!”

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Shadow, The Boys, Green Hornet, Vampirella, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, Game of Thrones and more!

In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and best selling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Michael Avon Oeming, Mel Rubi, Marc Guggenheim, Stephen Sadowski, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Jae Lee, Matt Wagner and a host of up and coming new talent!

DYNAMITE is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles – including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger’s PROJECT SUPERPOWERS – have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. Several of their titles have also hit The New York Times Best-Sellers list: The Boys, Vampirella Archives, Robert Jordan’s New Spring and Wheel of Time graphic novels. In 2005 Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%). The company has also been nominated for several industry awards, including the prestigious Eisner Award.

Dynamite won the Diamond Gem Award for Best Publisher Under 4% of market share for 2011!

Todd Allen wears a lot of hats. At various times he’s been (alphabetically), a bouncer, college professor, humor columnist, Internet producer and an NBA/WNBA Beat Writer, among other things. He’s the author of Economics of Digital Comics. You should probably read it.